Queensland

Great Adventures, September 1995, Donald Craine, Capitola, CA. "$114 each for a boat ride from Cairns to Fitzroy Island, with a single dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Hundred passengers half snorkeled, off the man-made Great Adventures Island, five dived. The guide raced us through a brief uninteresting dive. Expensive, boring and not even recommended for beginners."

Haba/Poseidon, October 1995, Jeffrey Houdret, Lansdale, PA. "Cairns is crowded and tacky; 50 miles north is Port Douglas, pretty, quiet, good restaurants, fine accommodations. Day trip diving $165/person because reef is 40 miles out. Boats leave at 8:30 am, you get wet about 1pm; long, rough boat ride. Snorkeling is bread and butter trade; my buddy and I were the only certified divers. Had us suit up while the boat was plowing through the swells, then slowed and screamed, "jump, jump." Broken coral, silt, dead stuff. Top of the reefs (some out of water at low tide) have been subjected to hordes of tourists walking around, though they no longer do this. Vis 40 feet, water 75°. A few clown fish, triggers, jacks, parrots, schooling barracudas, a couple of turtles, glimpse of a whitetip. Interesting, but no big deal. Guide of Haba made our dive the best he could; on last dive, he lost the boat and swam us a mile from where it was moored. My buddy ran out of air and told to swim for it on the surface. Strong currents would have swept her to New Guinea. . . . Another boat, Poseidon, a complete waste of money. Crew fun, but it was snorkeling boat and we were the odd guys out. Acres of broken coral, no fish. $130 for two dives; didn't take the second dive since the first was so boring. My Nikonos turned out to be a great event for both boats. Dive staff does not see many cameras. They asked how film was changed, how it worked."

Ocean Spirit II, June 1995, Joanne Miller, Houston, TX. "Day snorkel/dive trip on large catamaran to the inner reefs. Shallow sandy areas with some reef not in good shape; diving pitiful; two clams, poor vis and lack of fish. 17 divers in a glassbottom boat to transport us to the site. Lunch good and plentiful and the boat was roomy inside and out."

Port Douglas Dive Center/Coconut Beach, July 1996, Jennifer Boneta, Korea. "Possibly the best diving ever! Coral incredible. Port Douglas and northern Queensland unspoiled and beautiful. Only 10 on the boat - mix of snorkelers and divers; everyone pleased. Several had been to islands south of Cairns and said Port Douglas better both topside and underwater. Reef pristine. Diversity and quantity of corals, fish and marine life wonderful. Vis: 50­70ft. Water: 72Ï. People at Dive Center friendly and helpful; helped my 6 year old daughter; took her snorkeling while I dove. . . . Port Douglas and Mossman very quaint. Coconut Beach Resort at Cape Tribulation a beautiful eco-resort; friendly and helpful staff. Here, two World Heritage areas (reef and rainforest) come together"

TUSA Dive/Holiday Inn, July 1995, Deb Cruser, Columbus, IN. "Dive staff friendly and knowledgeable, but diving anywhere in the vicinity of the divemaster cost an extra $10. Not great pre-dive instructions. Two hour boat ride to site for 75 minutes in the water. Viz. not great. Coral beautiful but less spectacular than Cozumel. Good diving, but disappointing. Holiday Inn nice. Cairns is a wonderful city!"

Islands

Dunk Island, May 1995, Stephanie Voris, Naples, FL. "First-class resort. Several grades of rooms, 3 restaurants, good food. Three-quarters of the island is a rain forest with hiking trails. Diving not the emphasis: golf, tennis, and sailboarding. . . . Quick Cat, a spacious catamaran, goes to Beaver Reef. Plenty of large and small fish; corals, both hard and soft, are prolific; 4.5' potato cod greets you upon entry for pictures or feeding. Buffet lunch. Trip takes an hour. Briefing thorough, divemaster takes his time diving, photo opportunities plentiful."

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